Benji Husband donated 60 per cent of his liver to save his wife Lisa’s

life on Oct. 26.

Lisa Husband (nee Davis) was only 17 years old when she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Due to the severity of the colitis, she developed Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis, a degenerative liver disease, which

left Lisa fighting for her life.

Lisa and Benji Husband were married on July 9, 2011.

Through multiple illnesses and surgeries they’ve been by each other’s side, giving constant love and support.

In January, Lisa learned she was finally on the list for a liver transplant and needed to find a donor. They were incredibly surprised to learn Benji was a match, which is extremely rare, they explained.

Benji and Lisa were reluctant at first to believe they were brought together for a reason, but this incident has renewed their faith that their love was meant to be.

The two checked into the University of Alberta hospital in Edmonton on Oct. 25. They visited together the night before. In the holding area right before surgery, their beds were put side by side. Benji surprised Lisa by jumping out of his bed to give her a passionate hug and kiss.

“He was so happy to see her before he went in,” said Dawn Davis, Lisa’s mother.

Both surgeries went well and Lisa was moved out of the Intensive Care Unit within 24 hours. The doctor said Lisa’s new liver is “functioning perfectly.”

“The kids did amazingly well and the doctor said for Lisa to do as well as she did was wonderful,” said Davis.

While surgeries are a regular occurrence for Lisa, it was an entirely new experience for Benji. Now both will work tirelessly to recover.

“Lisa’s been through a lot of surgeries, and I’ve never seen her come through a surgery as well as she did this one,” said Davis. “To see her laughing and talking with all of her brothers and sisters, it was so rewarding because she’s doing so well.”

Now Benji and Lisa are in the same ward, with rooms right across the hall from each other.

They will need a minimum of three months recovery time, with Lisa remaining in hospital and Benji unable to work at his job as a finishing carpenter. Both will undergo physiotherapy. Davis is staying close by in an apartment across the street from the hospital.

“We are so ready for them to come out of the hospital yesterday,” said Davis. “As long as they just keep doing well, that’s the main thing. I’m absolutely positive that’s going to happen. There’s a little bit of a long road yet, but it’s going to be a much easier road.”

A fundraising dinner was held on Oct. 2 to assist the family with expenses during recovery. The Husbands said they are grateful for all the support from family and the community.

“Thank you isn’t enough. All of the prayers, all the positive thoughts, all the support from family and friends… I still have people from the Maritimes and Vancouver calling me. If it wasn’t for all that support……….

I’m so grateful for all of that because it means so much,” said Davis.